For the Tomahawk Leader
MAUSTON – The Tomahawk Hatchet baseball team found dry turf in Mauston on Thursday, April 6 to open the 2023 season, falling in five innings to Marathon, 14-1.
Senior Tyler Jablonski got the opening day start for the Hatchets. A leadoff walk in the top of the first to Daniel LaQua and a base hit by Cody Radke helped produce two Raider runs. A double-play fly ball minimized the damage.
Tomahawk fell short of answering in the bottom of the inning. Jablonski was stranded at third base after a two-out triple.
The deciding factor in the outcome was an eight-run second inning by Marathon, spearheaded by a leadoff hit, three walks, two Hatchet errors and three Raider hits that plated five of the runs.
The big blow was a bases-clearing triple by designated hitter True Thurs, who went 3-3, scoring three runs and an additional triple and single on the day.
The Hatchets threatened with baserunners every inning but were only able to plate a run in the third. Sophomore catcher Drew Tollefson led off with one of his two hits on the day, followed by a one-out walk to senior Addison Peissig. Senior centerfielder Zach Friske drove in Tollefson’s courtesy runner, junior Landon Hoff, with a two-out single.
Friske also added two singles to the offense, while Peissig and junior Grant Albrecht also contributed hits.
Junior Ethan Ihn finished the final two innings on the mound in relief of sophomore Brayden Larson, who relieved Jablonski with two outs in the second, allowing only a single baserunner and no hits or walks while striking out a pair.
The Hatchet sluggers are slated to be back on the field, and on the road, this week, scheduled to play in Nekoosa on Tuesday, April 11, against Northland Pines on the Thursday, April 13 (possibly in Mosinee) and at Auburndale on Friday, April 14.